where vision meets reality > Obama's Conundrum
November 05, 2008
What do you do with your Twitter account, your Facebook groups and pages, your followers, advocates and devotees when your campaign ends? Most brands would dump them into a generic CRM program, offering email updates and more traditional CRM channels at best.
This may be where Barack Obama may have bit off more than he can chew.
Countless individuals attended rallies, rallied voters, gave micro-donations, signed up for SMS alerts, email alerts, follow him on Twitter and joined his movement on Facebook.
What will he do with all of these relationships?
Will the White House become truly open an conversant? Will Obama maintain some of his PR personnel as executive staff, keeping these relationships alive? What will the relationship dynamic look like?
How would a truly conversant White House change the US democratic dynamic?
Will Obama reach out to McCain's supporters, inviting them into THE dialogue? Would they care?
Will Obama care? Will he listen? Will he respond? Will he govern any differently? Is Washington really ready to speak with the people? Are the people ready to have a voice?
How will his constituency respond if this doesn't happen? Do they expect their relationship to continue into the White House?
Is digital social media the proper channel for governance? For communications? For leadership?
Here's to hoping there's someone incredibly smart at the reigns. Because these are not simple considerations or decisions to be made lightly.